Drain valve for laundry tubs



Sept. 23, 1941. s BURMAN DRAIIN VALVE FOR LAUNDRY TUBS Filed Nov. 18 1940 2 Shge s-Sheet 1 a EE- 010i 8 Barman By lflb'Aifo vmw Patented Sept. 23, 1941 Olof S. Burman, Minneapolis, Minn. 1

Application November 18, 1940, Serial No. 366,102.

'4 Claims. (01. 137- 21) My present invention provides an improved drain valve mechanism especially adapted for use in laundry tubs; and, generally stated, consists of the novel devices, combinationsof devices and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In my experience with drain valve mechanisms for use in connection with laundry tubs or the like which are adapted to contain clothes, I have found that a valve mechanism wherein the valves close by downward movement or in the direction of the flow of water drained from the tub, an objection thereto has arisen from the fact that the flow of water will carry particles of the clothes under the raised valve and prevent subsequent closing thereof until the clothes or particles thereof have been pulled out from under the valve. I have, however, found that the above objection can be eliminated by the use of a valve that opens by downward movement and closes by upward movement, in connection with a valve seat'or seat-forming element that will hold back flow of the clothes with the discharged water.

With a valve that closes by upward movement, a sort of reverse upward flow of the water in the closing action will take place which tends to lift or force back any particles of the clothes, lint, or the like, which might otherwise tend toprevent tight closing of the valve against its seat.

My improved valve mechanism not only elimia and the two assembled elements are molded or cast into the bottom of the concrete tub.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is illustrated as applied to a two-compartment laundry tub. Referring to these drawings where'- in like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views: I

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing a twocompartment-laundry tub with the valve mechanism applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken approximately on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;'

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through the valve mechanism and portions of the tub on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a fragment of therearwardly projecting shelfand showing an arrangement wherein the anchor for the valve actuating rod is embedded in the shelf; and

Fig. 7 isa fragmentary section taken onthe line '|-'l of Fig. 6.

Referring first to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the character A indicates a molded concrete laundry tub having two compartments and an inwardly projecting shelf. This tub being of thetwo-compartment type the cast-metal valve box, indicated by the numeral 10, is made long enough to extend on both sides of the tub partition and is initially assembled with two depressed'or cup-shaped valve seatforming elements which, as previously stated, are preferably pressed from sheetbrass- The top plate of the box I0 is formed: with=two large holes I2 in which the valve seats H are inserted with the outturned-upperedgeflanges [3 of the latter seated on the upper or top surface of said valve box. On its exterior box ill has projecting anchoringribs l4 and an outstandinglug-l5.

In its bottom platethe box. [0 is provided with large internally threaded passages -16 that are axially aligned with the valve-seats ll. Externally threaded reducing bushings" are tightly screwed into the. passages l6." Thesebushings I1 have internally threaded axial passages of much less diameter than the passages 16, and into these reduced passages are applied gland-forming plugs l8 and. l9.- Compressible packings 20 are interposed betweenthe plugs l8 and IS; Valve actuating stems or plungers 2| are passed axially through-the plugs I8- and 19 and thepackings 20 and are; thus :mounted for vertical movements through: packed or liquid=tight joints-J To the upper ends of the valve stems 2| substantially disc-like valve heads are applied: These valve headspreferably, andasfshown; involve dished disc-like metal plates 22 that are faced-by correspondingly formed pliable discs 23 of materialsuch as rubber or leather. Asshown, these valve heads are placed on threaded and reduced upper ends of the valve stemsiand are clamped thereto by nuts 23. Here it is important tov note that the valve elements 22 and 23 are of slightly greater diameter than the lower edges of the cooperating and overlying valve seats I I, but are of slightly less diameter than the internally threaded passages l6,ithrough 'whichilatter, when the bushings II are removed, said valvesmay be freely passed-for assembling or repairs. .Here it willalso be noted that the bottoms of the valve seats l I' are perforated and are preferably made spider-like' so that thewater will freely pass there through but clothing will be caught and held back.

Convenient means for independently operating the said valves is provided. As shown, this means involves levers 25, the stem portions of which are loosely pivoted to the lower ends of the respective valve stems and the inner ends of which are pivoted to the lower ends of bearing posts 26, the threaded upper ends of which, as shown, are screwed into the above noted lugs l5.

For conveniently manipulating the levers 25 from the upper portion of the tub, upright rods 2! are provided. The lower ends of these rods are threaded and, as shown, work with threaded engagement through heads 28 on the outer ends of the levers 25. These heads 28 are preferably pivoted on the ends of said levers. At their upper ends the rods 21 are passed through perforations 29 in stud-like heads 30 which, as shown, are anchored to the upper back portion of the tub. These heads 30, as shown, have threaded stems 3! that are engageable in internally threaded sleeves 32 which latter are cast or molded into the back rear wall of the tub as best shown in Fig. 3. As best shown in Fig. 5, the passages 29 are much in the shape of a keyhole that has relatively large outer portions and narrow inner portions. Also in this preferred arrangement the upper ends of the rods 21 are threaded at 33 to the internally threaded stem-like portions of handle pieces 34 and are tightly screwed on to the upper ends of said threaded rods so that the said rods and handles 34, when assembled, operate as integral structures. Here it is important to note that large outer portions of the holes 29 are of a diameter that will pass the stem-like portions of the handles 34 therethrough, while the contracted portions of said passages 29 will pass therethrough only the rods 21.

The adjustment of the valve actuating connections described will be such that when the rod 21 is pulled upward and then moved into the contracted portion of the slot 29, the lower end of the stem handle 34 will be held on top of the head 30, as shown, by full lines in Fig. 3, and the valve will be held or locked in a closed position as indicated in Fig. 2 and at the left in Fig. 4.

When, however, the rod is moved to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, the stem 34 will drop through the large portion of slot 29 as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the valve will bemoved to open position, as indicated at the right in Fig. 4.

In casting or molding the tub the assembled valve box and valve seat or seats H -will be so located that they will be molded into the bottom of the tub. In Figs. 2 and 4 it is clearly shown that the anchoring ribs l4 will be embedded in the tub and that portions of the bottom of the tub will overly the outturned flanges 13 of the valve seats H, thereby securely anchoring the valve seats to the valve box and within the body of the bottom of the tub.

The structure just described in detail being for a two-compartment tub, the valve box is provided with a common drain pipe 35 which, as shown, is screwed into an' internally threaded passage located in the bottom of the valve box mid-way between the two valves. Of course it will be understood that for a single compartment tub the valve box would be provided with only one valve seat and valve mechanism, but in either event, the drain pipe should extend from the bottom of the valve box.

In Figs. 6 and '7 there is shown a concrete or molded tub A provided with a rearwardly projecting shelf. For this arrangement the valve actuating rod is passed through a perforation 36 in the shelf of the tub A and through an anchoring head 31. This anchoring head 31 is preferably cast into the shelf as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Preferably the anchoring head 31 is formed by taking one of the heads 30 and sawing or splitting the same axially, thereby making two anchoring heads out of the one element 3|]. The above noted elements 21 and 34 are identical elements described in the first instance and operate in the manner already described.

From the foregoing it will be understood that while I have described the preferred forms of the invention, that modifications thereof may be made within the scope of the invention disclosed and claimed.

With the above described structure no strainer above the valve seat or gasket l l is required and as an important advantage of this structure attention is called to the following facts: If the valve seat should accidentally be cracked or broken during the washing operation, it can be readily removed and the drain passage or opening l2 can then be temporarily filled with a plug or anything else that will stop the flow of water therethrough so that the washing operation does not need to be interrupted or put off until a new valve seat can be provided.

What I claim is: l

1. A drain valve assembly including a metallic valve box, an annular valve seat having a depending rim applied in the top of said box and afiording an opening thereinto, a reducing bushing detachably applied in the bottom of said box, a plunger working axially through said bushing and provided at its upper end with a valve head engageable with the depending rim of said an nular valve seat, and means for vertically moving said plunger and valve head to open and close a drain passage through said box, and which box is adapted to be embedded in a concrete base.

2. A drain valve assembly including a metallic valve box, an annular valve seat applied through the top of said box and affording an opening thereinto, said valve seat having an outstanding flange resting on the top of said box, said valve seat also having a depending rim, a reducing bushing detachably applied in the bottom of said box,- a plunger working axially through said bushing and provided at its upper end with a valve head that is engageable with the depending'rim. of said. annular valve seat, said reducing bushing being of slightly greater diameter than said valve head, so that said valve head may be inserted into said box when said bushing is removed, means for vertically moving said plunger and valve head to open and close the drain passage through said box, and which box is adapted to be embedded in a concrete baselwith a portion of the concrete body overlapping the outstanding hanger'post and connected to thelower end of. said plunger, the said elements forming a self-- contained assembly.

OLOF s. BURMAN. 

